Seven Nights
by L100Meganium
Summary: The Voice of the Forest never stays in one time for long, but when she becomes friends with a Pokémon that only awakens every thousand years, she finds herself wishing to stay in these seven nights forever. SylphShipping Celebi x Jirachi!
1. Night One: The Forest's Lullaby

**Author's Note:** Hello, all! This is Meganium, here with the fifth in my series of Legendary Pokémon pairing stories. However, this one's a little different: it's a multi-chapter! *GASP!* This is a story about Celebi and Jirachi, or SylphShipping (I have no idea where the name came from, but it's on the Shipping List). Please read and review; I really hope you enjoy my story! Thank you for clicking! :)

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Pokémon, I could probably pay for my college education all by myself and I probably wouldn't even need to get a job. -sigh-

Without further ado: Seven Nights!

* * *

Seven Nights

Night One: The Forest's Lullaby

Celebi liked to fly through the forest.

Swooping through dense trees, brushing the tops of shrubs and the surfaces of lakes with her fingertips, sitting in tree branches and eating sweet berries... There was nothing she loved more than her forests. She was always flitting from time to time to find new ones, or old ones, as they may have been.

On this particular day she visited a forest in Hoenn. The trees were thick and green, and there was much more sunlight streaming down through the trees than in her favorite forest in Johto. Still, the forest was a place of seclusion and secret joy, and she enjoyed it, singing to herself as she flew.

"_Forest, oh so deep and green  
Hide me so I can't be seen  
Your high-up boughs will be my bed  
Your leaves a pillow for my head  
Your rustling my lullaby_

_"Forest, oh so green and deep  
Branches rocking me to sleep  
Your hidden fruits, which feed me well  
Within your sacred hollows dwell;  
For nothing will I want or sigh._

"_Forest, with your secret charm  
Your canopy will keep me warm__  
High above in branches tall;  
The ones below will look so small  
When I sleep so close to the sky._

"_O, Your rustling my lullaby,  
For nothing will I want or sigh  
When I sleep so close to the sky."_

Singing this song to herself, she sat in the branches of a strong Pecha tree, its bark dulled with age, but sturdy and reliable. She plucked the sweet berries from its boughs and brought them to her small mouth, savoring their sweetness. Humming the song she had made up to herself, her eyes scanned the forest floor below. The grass looked velvety and lush from up here, its texture barely visible and giving the forest floor a soft, uniform look. It looked so plush that she half-considered laying down on the ground for a nap. However, she knew it wasn't safe.

Popping another berry into her mouth, its juice trickling down her chin, her eyes scanned over to the adjacent tree. It was a Cheri tree. Celebi didn't much care for Cheri berries, but was familiar with their spicy taste and healing qualities. Sometimes she brought the berries to Pokémon in the forest when they were in trouble. Her eyes gazed at the ripe berries in the boughs, then down to where the branches converged into one sturdy trunk, and traveled down the tree until her gaze reached the foot of the tree. Its roots were gnarled and large, as the tree was quite old. It was nothing she hadn't seen before, but she was entranced by the beauty of the old roots. The way they twisted and wound around one another, the way they seemed to rise out of the dirt, the strange violet chrysalis nestled between two roots...

Wait, what?

Her gaze flitted back a bit. What was that strange object? It appeared to be made of violet quartz, and was about her size. Celebi had never seen anything like it before. Abandoning her lunch, she flitted out of her Pecha tree and over to the foot of the Cheri.

Her curiosity increasing, she reached out a small green hand to touch the object. It was hard, but it glowed with a strange heat that belied its cold-looking appearance. Celebi squinted her eyes at it— there was a strange shadow in its center that she just couldn't make out...

Her eyes took in a strange shape with a three-pointed top and a small bundle for its bottom half. She tilted her head and squinted again. The shape did not move. Was something trapped in this odd chrysalis? Celebi shuddered at the thought. She brought her face closer to it, touching it with both hands now. Her fingertips tingled slightly at the warmth from within. Could the something in this rock be a Pokémon? Maybe this chrysalis was a special kind of ice? She felt her excitement escalate a little. What if whatever was inside was alive? What if she could free it?

She glanced from side to side, taking in her surroundings. Her large blue eyes scanned over the trees until they found what they were looking for— plump yellow berries hanging from an orangey-red leaved tree. She flitted over to it, and plucked a berry from a branch. It was very round, bright yellow, with green circles covering its dense skin. Celebi knew it was very sour, but it contained a special juice which helped Pokémon defrost and which melted ice.

Holding the berry carefully, she flew back to the foot of the Cheri tree. She squeezed the berry with all her might, but it would not burst: its skin was too hard. Sighing in frustration, she flew a short distance away, selected a sharp rock, picked it up, and, with some difficulty, flew it over to the Cheri. Holding the rock steady, she brought down the berry hard on its sharp edge, breaking its skin and causing a few drops of sour juice to spray in all directions. Celebi held the berry above the strange chrysalis and pulled the skin apart, allowing the juice to drip onto the violet object. She waited patiently for this to have an effect, but nothing happened. She cocked her head.

"I suppose it isn't ice after all," she said sadly. "I'm sorry, whoever you are. I tried to free you..."

She sat down next to the object and looked up at the branches of the Cheri, sighing deeply. Almost subconsciously, she began humming her song again, at a loss for what else to do. Singing was soothing to her; it always helped her mood.

"_Forest, oh so deep and green  
Hide me so I can't be seen  
Your high-up boughs will be my bed  
Your leaves a pillow for my head..."_

Next to her, something stirred within the chrysalis, the shadow twitching slightly. Celebi continued singing softly, unaware.

"_Your rustling my lullaby..."_

Softly, a dim glow started at the core of the quartz-like shell.

Celebi pointed her toes out and together in rhythm with her song, singing sweetly.

"_Forest, oh so green and deep  
__Branches rocking me to sleep,  
Your hidden fruits, which feed me well  
Within your sacred hollows dwell;  
For nothing will I want or sigh..."_

The faint white light within the chrysalis grew brighter, slowly expanding as Celebi sang.

"_Forest, with your secret charm  
Your canopy will keep me warm__  
High above in branches tall;  
The ones below will look so small  
When I sleep so close to the sky..."_

The glow covered nearly the entire shell now, spreading to its edges. Celebi played with the grass as she stared at the treetops.

"_O, Your rustling my lullaby..."_

Suddenly, the white light encapsulated the whole chrysalis, and the shell began to shake. Gasping, Celebi stumbled to her feet, watching as the chrysalis glowed with an unearthly brilliance, its shape changing and forming into the smaller one of the shadow that had lain within its center.

A small creature hovered slightly in the air. Its face was white, with light blue triangular markings extending from its closed eyes like tears. Its head was covered with a three-pointed crest, a rectangular blue tag hanging from each point. Its body was small, wrapped in a gold streamers that were slowly unfurling and fluttering to the sides like tiny wings. It spread its arms, yawned widely, and then, at last, opened its bright eyes.

Celebi gazed at the creature, holding her breath. She'd never seen anything like it.

"Hello," said the creature, blinking its eyes blearily. "I am Jirachi."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well, what did you think? I'm planning on this being seven chapters, but it may be less (or the chapters may be short). Please please please review if you liked or want to see more. I'm working on it, and I definitely know where this story is going. :3 Sooo if you want to see more, review, and I will know that there is interest in my story. Otherwise why bother to post. D: XD

Thank you for reading! I really appreciate it! :)


	2. Night Two: The Sky and the Stars

**Author's Note: **Hello, everyone! Meganium here with Chapter Two! ^ ^ The writing of this actually went pretty quickly; I knew from the start what I wanted to happen by the end of Night Two. Anyway, enough about my creative process. XD

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon, but I own so much Pokémon stuff that it seems like I do sometimes.

* * *

Seven Nights

Night Two: The Sky and the Stars

Celebi blinked at the newcomer, her mouth hanging open blankly. Its voice was sweet and childish, but masculine and wise. She flapped her jaw a bit, still startled by his sudden appearance.

Jirachi lifted a brow at her in concern. "Are you well?" he asked gently.

"I—I'm Celebi!" she blurted at last.

"Celebi?" he repeated, letting the name roll off his tongue as his brow furrowed. "I have heard tell of you. You are the Voice of the Forests."

"That's right," Celebi confirmed, surprised that he had heard of her. "I'm sorry I don't know you."

"That is understandable," he said, waving a small hand as he lighted on the ground. "I only awaken for seven days every thousand years." He smiled at her, and Celebi got the impression that this was far from the first time he had had to introduce himself to a Pokémon that had not heard of him.

"Every thousand years?" she echoed, her sky-blue eyes widening. "That's unreal!"

"No, it is quite real," he assured her, not understanding the expression. He looked around himself curiously. "Oh my," he said lightly. "When I went to sleep, there were many more trees than this."

She frowned at him. "There are a lot of trees here," she said defensively.

He smiled at her again. "Oh, I meant no disrespect. I only meant that it looked very different from the way it looks now."

"Well, you've been gone a while," she joked, mollified at his apology.

A silence passed between them. Celebi didn't know quite what to say, and Jirachi searched the ground with his eyes, occasionally glancing at Celebi. She was small and green, with a large, round head that came to a point at the top, two antennae tipped with blue on her forehead, long, slender arms, and a small body of a deeper green. Two translucent wings adorned her back. Her eyes were a beautiful sky blue, rimmed with black.

Celebi glanced at him in much the same manner he was glancing at her, and they both darted their eyes away when they caught the other looking.

"I, er... liked your song," Jirachi said awkwardly.

Celebi blushed. "Oh, um...thanks," she mumbled, rubbing the back of her head with one small hand. "I... I like to sing."

"I suppose that is why you are the Voice of the Forests," Jirachi said brightly. Celebi smiled at him.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Jirachi. Would you like some berries?" she asked timidly, squinting her eyes a little in bashfulness.

"I would love some berries," he agreed. "I've gotten quite hungry over a thousand years."

(-o-)

"Tell me more about humans," Jirachi said eagerly, happily eating a Pecha berry.

"There isn't much more to tell," Celebi told him, sitting next to him in the boughs of the Pecha tree and swinging her feet back and forth. "They catch Pokémon in PokéBalls and–"

"PokéBalls?" Jirachi interrupted, mystified. A bit of Pecha juice leaked down his chin, and Celebi struggled not to laugh.

"Yes...they're small red-and-white balls that can hold a Pokémon inside. Humans use them to hold us and transport us more easily," she explained, helping herself to another Pecha.

Jirachi's tongue flitted out to catch the drop of Pecha juice dribbling down his chin. "Why would they need to do that?" he asked.

"Well..." Celebi began, popping the berry in her mouth thoughtfully. "They train Pokémon to be stronger," she continued, her mouth slightly full. She swallowed. "They help us grow. Some of them are bad, and some of them are good." She felt as if she wasn't explaining it very well.

"Have you ever met one?" Jirachi asked, his eyes wide with fascination.

"Of course," she said dismissively. "I've met lots of them. But I would never let myself be seen in front of Trainers who would try to catch me." She licked some Pecha juice from her fingers.

"How can you tell if they want to catch you?" he pressed, clearly interested.

Celebi paused, one finger still in her mouth. "I'm not sure," she said at last. "Somehow, I just know."

He nodded, his blue tags swaying slightly. "Like how I know when it's time to wake up," he added.

"I guess," she responded. She looked up through the tree branches. It was dark outside now, and bits of the star-dotted sky could be seen through the gaps in the trees. With no artificial light to pollute this area, the stars stood out in stark contrast with the deep midnight blue sky.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" he said, smiling and gazing at them alongside her. "They are the only things that have changed little in this world while I slept, it seems."

Celebi nodded silently. The whole world must have changed a lot while Jirachi was asleep. It struck her as slightly unfair for the poor Pokémon, to get to see so little of the world.

"Jirachi," she began, facing him.

"Hm?" he asked, turning his face to her and smiling serenely.

"Won't you have to go to sleep soon?" she asked nervously, looking up at the moon.

He laughed. "Don't worry, I won't go into my hibernation until 7 nights from now. I'll just sleep like you do tonight." He lifted his face to the stars again.

Celebi's brow remained furrowed. "Still," she continued, "It doesn't seem fair. You only get seven days to enjoy the world, and you have to use up some of the time sleeping anyway?"

He glanced at her, as if she was odd for bringing such a thing up. "I guess I never really thought of it that way," he said with a shrug. "I never know what I miss, so when I wake up it's like it's a brand new world every time." He smiled at her again.

She felt so sorry for him. "But you _have _missed things," she insisted. "You've missed the development of new regions, many different customs, wars and events, new species being discovered...I can't even fathom missing a hundred years, let alone a thousand!" She shook her head incredulously.

"Well," he said, popping a final berry into his mouth, "You'll just have to show me this world tomorrow, Celebi." He munched his berry and sighed in contentment, snuggling into his seat and resting his head back against the tree trunk.

She blinked at him, surprised that he had fallen asleep so fast. But then again, she supposed he had become an expert at it.

(-o-)

Celebi yawned, the chirping of Pidgey and the dappled sunlight greeting her as she blinked open her eyes. Her blurred vision came into focus slowly as she blinked. There was a strange shape in front of her. She rubbed her eyes sleepily... And suddenly a Pokémon's face came into focus right before her.

"Good morning, Celebi!" Jirachi greeted cheerfully.

"Ahh!" she yelled, falling out of her branch and just managing to save herself by fluttering her wings. "Dear Dialga! Don't _do _that!"

"I'm sorry," Jirachi apologized. "I was just so excited to see your world."

She alighted on the branch again. "Yeah, I know," she said, smiling at him. "It's okay. C'mon, I'm going to show you the forest first." Smiling at him, she took his hand and pulled him through the air, turning her head just in time to miss the rosy blush that covered Jirachi's cheeks.

(-o-)

"As you can see, there sure are a lot of different kinds of trees here," she said, gesturing down at the trees below with the hand that wasn't holding Jirachi's.

"Yes," Jirachi agreed. "There were more trees when I went to sleep, but not as many different kinds!" he said excitedly.

"That's because Trainers come and plant trees not native to this forest," Celebi explained. "It really helps to diversify the plant life here!" Jirachi nodded, his eyes lighting up at this new knowledge. "Now I'm going to show you where humans live, but we have to be quick," she said, her voice taking on a conspiratorial whisper.

"Oh, how wonderful!" Jirachi exclaimed. Celebi got the impression that humans fascinated him. She couldn't help but feel a little stab of worry, but pushed it away as she pulled him closer to the outside of the woods, where a single house lay nestled between the forest and the sea.

"This is called a house," she said, pointing down to the blue-roofed building. "Humans live inside it. They make and eat food, sleep, and play inside them sometimes. Other times they come outside to do those things."

"Wowww," Jirachi breathed, awestruck. "Can we talk to one?" he asked, searching the house eagerly with his inquisitive eyes.

Celebi couldn't help but laugh. "I don't think that would be a good idea," she told him, "But if we stay close to this beach, there are Trainers who come out to train their Pokémon nearby. So maybe we'll see one."

"Okay!" he agreed, nodding eagerly. Celebi just looked at him as they hovered in the air, fighting a laugh.

"What?" he asked curiously, tilting his head.

"Nothing," she giggled. "I've just never met a Pokémon so fascinated by humans."

He smiled widely. "Last time I awoke, I was close friends with a human," he explained. "I just can't help but wonder if I'll see her again."

Celebi stopped abruptly, letting go of his hand. "What did you say?" she asked.

Jirachi looked confused by her reaction. "I wonder if I will see my human friend again," he repeated, puzzled.

Celebi stared at him, not knowing whether to correct him or pity him. Didn't he know? "Jirachi..." she started gently, "I don't think you'll see your friend again."

Jirachi blinked at her, still smiling. "But my friend told me we would meet again someday."

Celebi fumbled for words. "Jirachi... you see... Humans don't...they don't live as long as you or I do."

He merely blinked at her. "I don't understand," he said.

Celebi gazed at him with pity. "I know," she said, and took his hand again. Perhaps it would be better not to tell him for now.

(-o-)

"I can't believe we saw 5 humans!" Jirachi exclaimed.

That evening, as they sat in the Pecha tree and ate their fill again, Celebi wondered whether she should explain the concept of having a life span to Jirachi. He was so blissfully ignorant, as he popped berries into his small mouth, not knowing that every friend he had ever had was most likely dead. It tore her apart inside. She vowed to be the first friend he would ever see again, if she could.

"Celebi, what is troubling you?" he asked, snapping her out of her reverie. "You have been quiet since we saw the 'house'." He plucked another berry, offering it to her.

She took it, but did not eat it. "I was just...thinking about your friend," she admitted.

His eyes lit up. "She was a young human, about eight years old. She had shiny black hair that fell over her shoulders, and beautiful, bright blue eyes. Almost like yours," he added offhand. She blushed. "We did so much together," he sighed, staring up at the stars that were beginning to emerge. "She took me to meet her family, and I stayed with them in their village. We played together all day and were so exhausted that we fell asleep on the floor every night! When my seven nights were up, she took me to the forest and told me she'd see me again someday." He sighed wistfully. "Oh, Sachi," he said, smiling up at the brightest star. "I wonder where you are now."

Celebi said nothing, and merely gazed at the stars with him.

* * *

**Author's Note:** And the plot thickens. Well, actually, as of right now they're just kind of learning about each other, but I promise there will be a plot. XD

Oh, incidentally, the name "Sachi" means "wish". :D

I have run into a bit of a writing snag in the middle of Chapter Three, so it might take me a couple days to finish it. I'm also going back to college on Saturday, but I'm hoping the entire story will be written by then, so it shouldn't be an issue (I hope). Grant me wish of boundless creativity, Jirachi...XD

You know what else I wish for? Reviews. You would make my wish come true if you just click that little button there and tell me what you thought. :)

Thank you so much for reading and even bothering to click. It really means a lot to me. :)


	3. Night Three: Gone

**Author's Note: **Hello again, readers (if there are any XD)! Meganium here again with Chapter Three. I promised plot in this chapter, and here it is! I'll be honest, though: I'm a little iffy on this one. I like Chapter Four, but this one...meh. This Chapter is rated T just to be safe for mention of death, and blood.  
I hope I didn't scare anyone off with that.

**Disclaimer: **I own 493 Pokémon in Pokémon Diamond. Sadly (and confusingly), this does not mean I own Pokémon.

Um, anyway, please enjoy, and don't forget to review! ^ ^

* * *

Seven Nights

Night Three: Gone

When Celebi awoke next, Jirachi was still asleep. It was barely dawn, and the sun was just rising. Jirachi slept peacefully, his streamers wrapped around him securely like swaddling clothes. Celebi couldn't help but think he looked endearing as she watched him sleep.

Was this what he had looked like when Sachi had slept by his side?

The thought made her heart jolt painfully, and she decided to wake him. "Hey," she said softly, shaking him gently. "Wake up. It's morning."

He yawned, unwrapping himself. "So it is," he agreed, rubbing his eyes. "What will we do today, Celebi?" he asked.

She smiled at him. It was impossible to dwell on sad thoughts when he asked her so eagerly. "Well," she said thoughtfully, "The ocean is nearby. I thought maybe we could play in it."

He grinned widely, his eyes lighting up. "Oh, wow!" he said. "That sounds...that sounds..." He trailed off, trying to find a word to describe his enthusiasm for the idea.

"Cool?" Celebi supplied with a small smile.

"'Cool'?" Jirachi repeated, confused. "Is the water cold?"

Celebi laughed. "No. It means... Cool means that it's good." Of course Jirachi wouldn't understand modern expressions, she reminded herself.

"Oh!" Jirachi said. "If that is the case, then yes, it sounds 'cool'!"

She shook her head at him and smiled. "Come on, Jirachi," she said. "Let's go to the beach!"

(-o-)

"Come on in," Celebi urged him, splashing about in the water. "I promise it won't bite!" She gestured with an arm toward the water, and Jirachi hesitantly stepped forward.

"Are you quite sure?" Jirachi asked timidly, sticking a small foot in the water and pulling it back.

"Sure I'm sure!" she laughed, grabbing onto his arm and pulling him forward slightly. Smiling at her uncertainly, Jirachi allowed himself to be pulled into the shallow water. She smiled back at him reassuringly.

"So...is this it?" Jirachi asked after a moment.

"Well... I guess it could be..." Celebi said mischievously, letting go of his arm and drifting backward slightly. She put her arms under the water in preparation...

"Unless I do _this!"_ she exclaimed playfully, splashing Jirachi suddenly with a bit of water.

Jirachi yelped and covered his face, laughing. "Oh yeah? Well what if _I_ do _this?_" he countered, splashing Celebi back. She giggled and splashed him again, and soon they were engaged in a playful splash fight, with Jirachi wading after a fleeing and giggling Celebi as she splashed water behind herself with her feet.

"Get back here!" he laughed, wading through the shallow water in awkward movements. "How am I to splash a moving target?"

"That's the idea," Celebi teased, sticking out her tongue at him over her shoulder and splashing him with her feet again.

By the time the splash war ended, both Pokémon were quite tired out and quite wet, and they lay on the sand, panting and looking up at the sky. Several Wingull flew overhead, their cries breaking the silence.

"I have never played in the ocean before," Jirachi admitted after a pause, his chest still heaving with the effort of attempting to catch Celebi (an attempt which proved unsuccessful).

"Well, now you have," Celebi corrected him simply.

"What is next?" Jirachi asked, sitting up.

"Um...I'm not sure," she replied, sitting up as well. "I guess I could show you all the kinds of berries in the forest," she suggested with a shrug.

"That sounds intriguing!" Jirachi said with his traditional eagerness. Where did he get all this boundless enthusiasm, Celebi wondered?

"All right, then," she said, taking his hand again and lifting off, pulling him with her. "Let's go!"

(-o-)

"What kind is this?" Jirachi asked her, holding a pear-shaped yellow berry between his hands, but not plucking it from its branch. It was evening, and the sun was setting, painting the dappled light a faint orange. Celebi glanced over at the object Jirachi held— it was a berry she knew well.

"That's a Sitrus berry," she told him knowingly. "It can restore a Pokémon's energy in a pinch. It has a really interesting flavor. The skin is really hard, though." Jirachi nodded and let the berry go. The branch bobbed slightly at the lack of pressure. His eyes searched around eagerly, looking for unfamiliar berries for Celebi to identify. Not seeing any new berries, he flew from the branch and glided around a bit, looking this way and that. Celebi's eyes sparkled with amusement as she watched him fly.

"Oh, Celebi!" he said excitedly, flying over to another tree. "Just look at—" Suddenly, he stopped cold. His streamers did not even flutter, and he fell silent.

Celebi saw his movements cease, and blinked in confusion. "Jirachi?" she prompted. "What's wrong?" Jirachi did not move. He still hovered in the air, his back to his green friend. Hearing no response, Celebi flew over next to him and followed his gaze.

At the foot of an Oran tree lay an old, grizzled Zigzagoon, its fur dulled with age. It was motionless, its mouth open slightly and its legs splayed out. A pool of blood had seeped from a wound in its neck, and its stare was blank and glassy, its expression frozen in a yelp. Celebi's gaze flickered from the fallen Pokémon to her friend worriedly, horrified at the sight.

"Wh...what is wrong with him?" Jirachi whispered, looking down at the poor creature. "Why does his fur lack color? Why is he not moving? Why is he bleeding so much? "

Celebi opened her mouth several times, only to close it again. Her eyes clouded over with pity and regret, sorry for the Zigzagoon as well as for Jirachi, who just didn't understand. "Jirachi..." she began softly, taking his hand. She tried to explain, but merely sighed, furrowing her brow and trying to find the words. Jirachi looked at her, and he looked so lost that it made her heart clench. Spurred by his questioning face, she finally managed to attempt an explanation.

"Jirachi... you don't know much about life. You haven't seen enough of it." She spoke as gently as possible. "Other creatures— other Pokémon, humans—they... they don't live forever. They have to go sometime." She paused, looking him over as she thought of how to explain it. "Things can happen to them, and...sometimes they don't live as long as they're supposed to. Other times, they... get old, and they pass naturally." She flicked her eyes over him, trying to gauge his reaction. "They don't continue on forever like you or me. Humans and other Pokémon— they die, Jirachi." Her voice was a bit choked. Why did she have to explain this to him? He had been around for thousands, maybe millions of years— hadn't he ever seen anyone die? But the look on his face told her that he hadn't. He'd never known anyone long enough to see them die.

Jirachi yanked his hand away from her grasp, his eyes full of confusion and hurt. "But... that is not true," he insisted, shaking his head. He looked down at the Zigzagoon again, his expression almost desperate. "He is... he is only sleeping," he said. "From up here, he looks like he is asleep." He looked back up at Celebi, his eyes pleading.

She shook her head slowly, her eyes reflecting his pain. "No, Jirachi," she whispered, moving closer to him. "He's not."

Jirachi stared at the Zigzagoon, but he appeared to be looking through it, his brows knit together in confusion, still struggling to understand. "They just...stop? Just like that? H-How long did he live? How long does _anybody_ live?" His questions were becoming increasingly frantic, and Celebi knew what—or who—he was thinking of.

Her eyes found his, and their expressions were nearly identical. Celebi felt tears prick the backs of her eyes. "Not a thousand years," she said quietly, her voice choked.

The tears that had been building up in Jirachi's eyes finally spilled over as he recoiled in shock and sorrow. "No," he protested quietly. He floated backward slowly, shaking his head as if he could clear it of the unwanted knowledge. "No," he repeated, a little more insistently.

"Jirachi—" Celebi whispered, reaching out to him. "Jirachi, I'm sorry..."

He floated back, avoiding her touch. He stared at the ground, not seeming to hear Celebi at all. "I will never see Sachi again," he said, his voice thick with grief. Tears rolled down his cheeks, but he did not attempt to wipe them away. "I will never see any of them again..."

Celebi opened her mouth to comfort him as tears spilled from her eyes at last, but Jirachi flew away suddenly before she could say anything more. "Jirachi!" she called after him. "Wait!" She took off after him, but did not know where he went. Looking around frantically, she flitted from tree to tree. "Jirachi!" she called out desperately. "Jirachi!" She flew through the forest, calling out his name.

"Jirachi!" she called once more as she stopped to search in another area of the forest. A small sob reached her ears, and she whirled around— Jirachi sat in the branches of the Cheri tree under which she had found him, his face covered.

"Jirachi..." she sighed in relief, flying down to light on the branch with him. "Don't take off like that," she admonished, but she sounded more sad than reproachful.

"She is gone, Celebi," Jirachi said softly, lifting his face to look at her. The anguish in his eyes broke her heart.

She edged closer to him and placed her arms around his shoulders, embracing him, offering her comfort to him. "I know," she told him quietly. He shuddered a deep breath, more tears rolling down his cheeks as he turned into her embrace, accepting it.

They wept together, the stars winking overhead.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well hopefully you won't be able to tell which part of that chapter I hated. XD  
And don't worry. This won't turn into an angstfest. I really, really hate those, and it would kind of break my heart to see happy little Jirachi and Celebi angsting all the time. So there will be happy cute fluffy moments ahead, particularly in the upcoming chapter, I promise. :3  
Also, you'll start to notice the chapters getting a little longer. Sorry about this- the story has kind of grown since I originally thought of it, and since I read everything to my Mom before I post it anywhere, the story has gone through a lot of minute changes and adjustments and has been developed a lot (my mom is an awesome editor. Thanks Mom! :D). Sooo, I hope you, the reader, enjoy the story for what it has become: a real test of my writing ability and a chance to see whether I can really write a multichapter story and not have it suck like a Hoover.

Self-deprecation aside, thank you so much for reading, readers. I really love you all, in a platonic, non-creepy-stalker way. Thank you to everyone who's reviewing; you guys are the best. :)


	4. Night Four: Don't Look Back

**Author's Note: **Hello again, everyone! Chapter Four is up, and I believe it's my favorite one so far, so I hope you enjoy it too! This one's also a lot longer...I hope you'll read it anyway! ^ ^;

**Disclaimer: **  
There once was a girl, age nineteen,  
Who wrote fanfictions on laptop screen.  
Though over the years, her collection has grown  
The Pokémon franchise she still doesn't own,  
But of this story, she is still Queen.

(...Hey, original Disclaimers are hard to come up with, and limericks are always fun.)  
Enjoy!

* * *

Seven Nights

Night Four: Don't Look Back

Celebi looked over at her friend the next day, watching him out of the corner of her eye. It was already sunset again, and he had hardly moved or spoken at all the entire day, giving one-word responses to questions and refusing to eat much. Celebi was quite worried. She hated to see the little Pokémon in this state. Turning to face him as they sat on the forest floor under the Pecha tree, she tried once more to talk to him.

"Jirachi," she said gently, "Sachi wouldn't want you to be sad."

"I know," he told her, "I would not want me to be, either. But I am, Celebi. I am sad." He folded his hands in his lap, looking down at them sorrowfully. Celebi said nothing as she tried to think of something to comfort him, looking down at the grass beneath them.

"I am the Wishmaker, Celebi," he continued after a pause, making Celebi look up at him in surprise. Was he finally opening up again? "I grant wishes," Jirachi said. "Yet all the years I have been alive, I could do nothing while every friend I have ever had died around me, while I slept in peaceful ignorance." He looked up at the treetops. "I am useless," he concluded sadly.

"No," Celebi protested, putting a hand on his shoulder. "No, you aren't. You didn't know, Jirachi. And no one can stop..." she faltered, "...that... from happening. Not even you."

"If my friends had wished it," he said with a sigh, "perhaps I would have been able to grant them a life like mine. A life that goes on and on." He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the tree trunk.

Celebi shook her head. "No, Jirachi," she said gently. "It's... it's part of their life. It's...supposed to be that way." She winced then, realizing how terrible her last words had sounded.

Jirachi merely nodded, surprising Celebi. "I believe I understand that now," he said. He sighed again. "I only wish that I could go back and... say goodbye."

Celebi froze, her eyes widening. "Say that again, Jirachi," she urged him, grabbing his shoulder.

Jirachi looked at her, puzzled. "I wish I could go back and say goodbye," he repeated, his brows knit together in bemusement.

"Jirachi, that's it!" Celebi exclaimed, shaking him slightly.

"What is it?" Jirachi asked confusedly.

"We can go back!" Celebi told him excitedly, still clutching him. "We can go back and see Sachi!" Her eyes sparkled with joy.

"But...it was a thousand years ago!" Jirachi stuttered, but Celebi thought she saw a spark of his old enthusiasm rekindle in his eyes.

"I can do it!" Celebi said quickly. She didn't exactly know if this was true— she'd never traveled more than a hundred years before— but she was so eager to help Jirachi that the idea seemed very possible.

"R...Really?" Jirachi asked, clutching her shoulders back, a hopeful smile spreading across his face. "You could really take me to see Sachi?"

"I could try!" she exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement.

"Oh, Celebi! That's wonderful!" he exclaimed, embracing her tightly in joy. Celebi grinned widely, her cheeks warming slightly in a faint blush. After a moment, Jirachi pulled back and cleared his throat, seemingly embarrassed by his impulse, a red flush covering his cheeks. "S—Sorry," he said bashfully, rubbing the back of his head with one hand.

She giggled at him. "That's okay," she said happily. "I like hugs." She grinned at him, and he grinned back.

(-o-)

"So how does this work?" Jirachi asked curiously.

"You want me to try to explain _time travel?_" Celebi asked, raising an eyebrow at him incredulously.

He scratched his head, embarrassed. "Oh... I guess not," he conceded, grinning sheepishly. "I suppose it is quite complicated, huh? Even for you?"

"Even for me," Celebi agreed. It was true— though she could travel through time, she was hazy on the rules. She didn't control time; she merely moved through it. It was rather like trying to rationalize how breathing worked— it came naturally to her, and just wasn't something she thought about.

"Now take my hand," she instructed him, holding hers out to him. "I've never traveled this far back in time, so I don't know what it will be like, and it might be even harder since I have to take another Pokémon with me."

He took her hand, and Celebi was suddenly struck with how nice it felt, his hand clasped within hers. "Is it safe, then?" Jirachi asked timidly, and Celebi shook her silly thoughts of hand-holding from her mind as she answered.

"I think so," she said with as much confidence as she could muster. "I won't know until I try, though!"

"Then let us try!" Jirachi said, clasping his hand tighter around hers, looking at her with determination.

She smiled back at him and tightened her hold on his hand. "Okay," she said at last. "Here we go. One...two...three!"

They disappeared.

(-o-)

Everything seemed to be whizzing by at speeds that Jirachi could not even comprehend. A loud roar sounded in their ears. Jirachi looked over at Celebi, whose eyes were screwed shut tightly, her face contorted in effort, a blue, aura-like orb surrounding her and extending to surround him as well. The roar in their ears was powerful to the point of being painful, and Jirachi closed his eyes and screwed up his face in a wince.

A powerful suction, or maybe it was a wind, seemed to rise out of nowhere, pulling the two in opposite directions, and Jirachi yelped as he struggled to keep his hand clutched around Celebi's. He opened one eye halfway and saw Celebi panting with effort. The protective aura flickered around them and began to shrink. Jirachi pulled himself closer to Celebi as the colors whizzing by them seemed to fade into a single color that just couldn't be identified. With effort, he grabbed Celebi's other hand.

"Celebi!" he yelled over the roar. "What is wrong?"

"It... hurts!" Celebi moaned as the aura shrank a little more. Her face was twisted into an expression of agony. She grasped his hands tightly and let out a cry of pain. The roar seemed to get even louder, and the two were shaken violently by the mysterious windstorm. Celebi panted weakly, her blue orb shrinking to just barely cover them as her hold on his hands loosened slightly. She let out another cry as they were buffeted by the strange hurricane.

"Celebi!" he cried out, holding onto her tighter, becoming frantic as she began to exhibit more signs of pain. "Celebi, stop! Please, do not try so hard! Just take us back to the forest!"

"I have... to try!" she gasped, and the aura shrank to cover only Jirachi as she cried out and slipped from his hands, immediately being swept away and disappearing from sight.

"CELEBI!" he shouted, his hands reaching out uselessly as he felt himself compress strangely.

Suddenly, he hit the ground hard, his brain seeming to rattle from the impact. Extreme vertigo hit him all at once, the abrupt lack of motion making him dizzy. His surroundings were green, but that was all he could tell before they blurred. His rolling eyes searched desperately around himself, at last locating a blurry light-green shape. "Ce...Cele..." he panted, trying in vain to crawl toward the figure.

"Celebi..." he whimpered before the world went black.

(-o-)

"Uhhh..." Jirachi moaned, sitting up and holding his head. He closed one eye in a wince as he looked around, taking in his surroundings. Countless berry trees, trees of all different colors...he was back in the forest where he had met—

And suddenly he remembered. "Celebi!" he cried out, looking around on the ground. A small, motionless green body lay a few feet away. "Celebi!" he repeated, scrambling toward her and shaking her, his heart pounding rapidly.

"Nnn..." Celebi moaned softly, and relief washed over him. He heaved a sigh. _Thank Arceus,_ he thought gratefully.

"Celebi, are you all right?" he asked gently as her eyes fluttered open.

"Jirachi..." she croaked, a faint smile of relief flitting across her face. He helped her sit up carefully. She coughed a few times, her small body shaking, and Jirachi winced internally. She looked so frail, not like the strong, knowledgeable Celebi he had come to know. She heaved a deep breath, turning to face him. "Thank goodness you're all right," she said.

"_Me_?" he said incredulously. "Celebi, I saw you in there... You were almost torn apart!" Now that he knew she was okay, he wasted no time in scolding her, though his voice broke on the last word, making the scolding rather ineffective.

Celebi shrugged her thin shoulders, sitting up a bit more on her own. "I've never traveled that far before," she explained simply. "I guess I found out I can't do it."

"Celebi," Jirachi pressed, still holding her hands from when he had helped her sit up, "When you let go of me... Why were you not glowing?"

She searched him with her large eyes, which looked a little glazed. "I was too weak to protect both of us," she admitted, averting her gaze.

Jirachi felt a surge of an emotion that was equal parts a protective anger and a touched warmth. "Celebi..." he began in a voice that was intended to be reproaching, but came out sounding more like a pained sigh. He didn't know what to say— she had hurt herself so badly, and all because of him. She was the one who should have been scolding _him_, not the other way around.

Instantly, he felt remorse. "Celebi," he choked, "I am so very, very sorry. I have been selfish. I have pushed you too hard."

She glanced at him with an expression that may have been annoyance. "It was my idea in the first place," she reminded him. "And you weren't being selfish. Please don't apologize. I'm fine, see?" She smiled at him to emphasize her point.

He looked her over, as if trying to detect whether she was merely lying for his benefit. But she appeared to be sincere. "Okay," he conceded quietly, and then added, "But please do not try that again. I... I did not like it."

She snorted. "I didn't really enjoy it either," she said.

He shook his head. "No, no— I mean, I did not like the sensation of time-travel at all, but— I meant, I did not like seeing you get hurt," he trailed off to a mumble, embarrassed.

She smiled at him, a fond glint in her eye as she looked him over. Jirachi thought there was a hint of a blush on her cheeks. "Don't worry," she told him, her voice sweet. "I won't do it again." Her eyes clouded over with regret. "I'm sorry I couldn't take you to Sachi."

He shook his head vigorously, his tags swaying back and forth. "It would not change anything," he assured her. He found himself searching her eyes, as if making sure every trace of pain was gone from them. "Thank you for trying," he said gratefully.

"You're welcome," Celebi responded. Suddenly, a rumble sounded from Jirachi, and Celebi burst out laughing. "Apparently time travel makes you hungry!" she giggled.

He flushed bashfully. "I guess we should fly around and look for something to eat, then," he said sheepishly.

"I would love to," Celebi agreed, "But I can't."

He blinked. "Why not?" he asked, puzzled.

"You're still holding my hands," she reminded him, glancing down at their joined hands.

He blushed red and yanked his hands away quickly, feeling himself grow heated with embarrassment. "S-Sorry!" he blurted.

She laughed at him, flitting up from the ground. "You're funny, Jirachi," she told him. He grinned bashfully at her. "You go on ahead," Celebi said. "I'll look around here. It's already getting dark; we'll collect more if we split up." He nodded assent and flew ahead, searching for new berries to sample, leaving her hovering in midair.

Celebi waited until he was out of sight to let herself falter in the air and let out a gasp of pain.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well, how was it? Please let me know! I will love you forever.

I've run into a bit of a rough patch in the middle of Chapter Six, but I know exactly what's going to happen after that. All I need to do is get...through...chapter...six! It's a stubborn bugger. But it will probably be the happiest one yet (besides the ending), so stay tuned (this isn't a television show or radio, self...)! In the meantime, Chapter Five is pretty good too, and will actually include some other Pokémon! Ooooh! Excitement! XD

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you're liking my story in general! Thank you so much for clicking. :)


	5. Night Five: Promise

**Author's Note: **Whew! I finally finished writing the whole fic! I'll still be posting at an every-other-day rate until the story's conclusion.

I'm going back to college tomorrow, so it was really tough to write the last couple chapters with everything I've got on my mind, but writing this was much better than having to deal with things like packing, so it was actually something of a blessing to have something to distract me. XD

I really hope you all enjoy this chapter, because I sure do.

* * *

Seven Nights

Night Five: Promise

Jirachi had trouble sleeping that night.

As he watched Celebi's chest rise and fall as she slept, he felt dread beginning to spin in the bottom of his stomach. Already he had spent three—this was the fourth—nights with Celebi, and his time was almost up. He would never see any of his friends again, he had found out, and was coming to the realization that he would never see Celebi again either. His heart juddered painfully at the thought. He had made lots of friends, become close with lots of Pokémon over the many years, but there would just never be another Pokémon like Celebi. She was something else entirely. No one else had ever comforted him so much, or taught him so much about the world, or gone to such lengths just to make him happy. It was strange to think someone cared about him that much, and Jirachi was equal parts confused and happy about it.

Celebi snorted in her sleep, turning over. She whimpered a small cry of pain as she winced and turned over again, seeking a more comfortable position. Jirachi's heart clenched with remorse. He knew Celebi was in worse shape than she had let on. She had only been trying to help him, and she had hurt herself while doing it. Why had she pushed herself so hard? Perhaps if he had spent less time moping earlier...

He shook himself slightly. Lamenting about his past actions would do nothing. All he could do now was try to be as good a friend to Celebi as she was being to him. He watched her sleep, his eyes taking her in fondly. She twitched her nose slightly as she slept, and Jirachi struggled against the urge to giggle. She looked very endearing.

Letting her steady breathing be his lullaby, Jirachi's eyelids drifted closed at last.

(-o-)

Celebi yawned, stretching her sore muscles and wincing slightly at the pain in her wings and shoulders. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, and then looked down to greet—

Where was Jirachi?

Her eyes snapped open as she became fully alert. "Jirachi?" she called, looking from side to side, anxiety beginning to bloom within her. "Jirachi?" she called again, a little louder and a little more nervously.

"Good morning!" a voice said suddenly from her side, and she yelped and nearly fell out of her tree. Grasping onto the branch at the last minute, her eyes found the source of the voice.

"Arceus, Jirachi!" she breathed, climbing back onto her branch. "You've really got to stop that!"

"Sorry," Jirachi said apologetically. "Anyway, I found us breakfast!" He brought out two large berries from behind his back: Iapapas. "They look good, don't they?" he said eagerly.

"Yeah, if you like really sour stuff," Celebi laughed. Jirachi looked down at the berries in a disappointed manner, as if it was the berries' fault for being the inappropriate flavor. "Come on," she told him. "I'll show you where the Mago berries are."

(-o-)

Jirachi was acting strangely, Celebi thought. He was normally cheerful, but today he seemed to be even more so than usual. He smiled constantly, and kept trying to help her. She was flattered, but wondered what had brought on this behavior. She pondered it as they sat on the beach. Jirachi hummed as he made a sand tower.

"Jirachi," she started, "What's gotten into you today?"

He looked at her as if she had said something odd. "Whatever do you mean, Celebi?" he smiled. "I'm just happy to be spending a day at the beach with you."

"Well, that's very nice, but..." she faltered, blinking. How should she phrase this? 'Stop trying so hard'? It would sound unkind...

"But...?" Jirachi prompted her, setting a few seashells in the sand tower to look like doors.

"Well..." Celebi hesitated, digging her feet into the sand a little, "It just seems like you're...I dunno... trying to be extra happy around me." He froze for a moment before resuming his castle-building, and Celebi knew she had hit the nail on the head. "And... you don't need to do that," she continued, heartened by her correct guess. "You don't need to pretend around me. Just be yourself."

He stopped building his castle and sighed. "Celebi, I _am_ happy. Truly. I just..." he trailed off, staring at the main door in his sand tower, a large pinkish scallop shell. "I know I will have to go to Sleep soon, and..." He looked up at her, his eyes showing the sadness they had been hiding.

"...You don't want to waste time being sad," she finished for him understandingly, and he nodded. She smiled at him. "I know," she said. "But..." she looked down at her feet again, burying them further in the sand. "It's okay, you know," she said awkwardly. "To be sad, I mean." She began picking up handfuls of sand, letting it slip through her fingers, like her time left with Jirachi. "I mean..._I'm_ sad," she admitted quietly.

Jirachi smiled gently at her. "That is why I must be happy right now, Celebi," he said. "I do not like to see you sad."

She smiled back, a genuinely grateful smile. "Thank you."

(-o-)

"Celebi," Jirachi said as they ate their evening meal on a tree branch, "What is your favorite kind of berry?" He held a pink berry in his hands that seemed to twist slightly— a Mago. Jirachi had decided after breakfast that this was his favorite type of berry, so they were eating it again for supper.

"My favorite?" Celebi echoed, munching a Mago berry. Jirachi noticed that she liked the sweet flavor as well. "Well... I guess my favorite would be Watmel berries," she answered.

Jirachi blinked. "Watmel berries?" he repeated. "What are they like?"

Celebi's eyes lit up. "They're huge!" she told him. "Some of them are the size of my head, or bigger!" She held her arms up a certain distance apart to emphasize. Jirachi's eyes widened. "They're bright pink and vivid light green," Celebi continued, "and they're the sweetest berries in the whole world!" She pressed her hands to her cheeks, relishing the memory of the berry's sweetness.

Jirachi smiled wide. "Oh, really?" he breathed in awe. "They sound delicious!"

"Oh, they are!" Celebi replied happily, but then her expression softened into one of slight disappointment. "It's been so long since I've had one, though," she sighed.

"Why is that?" Jirachi asked, swinging his little legs back and forth as they sat on the tree branch.

"They're really hard to get to," Celebi explained, looking a little sad. Snapping herself out of it, she turned and smiled wide at Jirachi, her eyes closing. "But Mago berries are really sweet, right? They're good too!"

Jirachi smiled back, but felt bad that she wasn't able to enjoy her favorite food like he was. "Celebi, I am going to find us some more Mago berries," he told her, wanting to help out. "I remember where they are."

Celebi looked a little uncomfortable. "Well...okay," she said hesitantly. "But be careful, Jirachi. Don't go anywhere else, and call out to me if you're in trouble."

"Do not be silly, Celebi," Jirachi told her with a wave of his hand. "I will only be in the nearby grove. That is where the Mago berries are, right?"

"Yes, that's right," Celebi confirmed, looking a little more reassured. She glanced up at the sky. The sun was just beginning to sink out of it. "Don't be gone too long," she warned him. "It'll be dark soon."

"I will return shortly!" Jirachi said confidently, and he flitted off.

(-o-)

Jirachi flew through the trees of assorted colors and reached the grove of Mago berries. He wondered where Watmel berries grew. Maybe they didn't grow in the forest anymore? Still feeling a little sorry that he couldn't bring Celebi her favorite food, he began plucking Mago berries, holding them with his streamers held together in front of him like a pouch. He glanced up at the sky again— the sun was beginning to drop closer to the horizon. He should be quick.

He returned to his task of picking berries, humming the song he had heard Celebi singing the evening they had met. Quite unexpectedly, a strong wind blew through the trees, and Jirachi braced himself against it, his tags fluttering to the side as the wind played with them. All of his gathered berries were suddenly blown from his makeshift pouch, and flew a short distance away.

"Oh no!" Jirachi muttered to himself, flying after them. Inwardly, he scolded the wind for making it more difficult to return on time. He followed the path the berries had taken, and looked down: sure enough, the twisted pink berries lay strewn across the forest floor. _There you are,_ he thought as he floated down to them. He began to pick them up, one by one, and place them back in his makeshift basket. When he had gathered all in sight, he looked around the forest floor to make sure he hadn't missed any. As his eyes flicked across the grass, they came upon a startling sight.

A large, bright pink berry with jagged lime-green stripes lay on the ground invitingly, right at the foot of a nearby tree. Jirachi's eyes widened. He couldn't believe his luck— Celebi's favorite berry, which was so hard to find, was just laying there on the ground, waiting for him to take it! Excited, he dropped the Magos to the ground and left them there as floated toward the large berry. He reached out a hand and touched the berry. It was soft, but not mushy, and he could tell from the vivacity of the color that it was just bursting with flavor. Wouldn't Celebi be pleased, he thought, if he returned with _this_ instead of the Mago berries!

He hefted it carefully. It was quite heavy, but this one appeared to be a smaller specimen, at least, so it wasn't too difficult for him to carry. It would still make flying a little harder, though. He looked around, turning in different angles, pondering the shortest route back to Celebi's Pecha tree.

As he turned in place one more time, he was suddenly greeted with a pine cone-like Pokémon not two inches from his face.

(-o-)

Celebi played with the shoots that sprung from the tree branches, anxiously awaiting Jirachi's return. Perhaps she had been foolish to let him go off on his own— he didn't really know his way around the forest yet, she thought. But then, he had seemed so eager to help her out... how could she refuse?

Still, she reasoned, glancing at the sun, which was beginning to turn red as it drifted closer to the horizon, Jirachi sure was taking a long time. Maybe he was in trouble? Her heart skipped a beat. A strong gust of wind suddenly blew by, and Celebi clutched the tree trunk, bracing herself and worrying for Jirachi. Her mind raced with half-formed images of Jirachi being blown away by the wind, Jirachi being captured by a wandering human, Jirachi meeting the creature that had killed the old Zigzagoon—

She let out a gasp of fear and jolted from her seat on the tree branch, her wings buzzing frantically as she took off in search of her friend.

(-o-)

"Ah!" Jirachi exclaimed, stumbling back and falling to the ground. He held the berry between his hands, making sure it hadn't been ruptured. After examining the berry, he looked up curiously at the Pokémon. He hadn't ever met one like it, but was pretty sure he had heard of them... Pineco, weren't they?

"So, _punk,_" the Pineco said, bouncing closer to Jirachi, his eyes narrowed threateningly. "You think you can just waltz in here, steal a Watmel, and walk out, easy as that?"

"That does sound like my plan," Jirachi agreed, oblivious to the Pokémon's threatening attitude. "However, I think you must have me confused with someone else," he continued. "I am not 'Punk'. It was nice to meet you, though!" Giving the Pineco a smile, he turned to walk away in the opposite direction.

"No, I'm pretty sure Blast is right, _punk,_" said another Pineco, dropping down right in front of Jirachi and blocking his path. He, too, bounced closer to Jirachi.

"Who do you think you are?" the first Pineco, Blast, asked the little Pokémon angrily.

"I think I am Jirachi," Jirachi answered, a little confused by their actions. "I am sorry if you mistook me for 'Punk'."

"He thinks he's funny, Bristle," Blast grunted.

"We don't like jokers," Bristle growled as the two began to close in.

(-o-)

"Jirachi!" Celebi called out frantically, searching the forest high and low for her little friend. "Jirachi, where are you?" She had searched all over the Mago grove, and he was nowhere to be found. Maybe he had been abducted or caught or—

"Jirachi!" she called out, a little more desperately, bursting out of the tops of the trees and looking down at the forest from on high. Suddenly she saw a glint of gold far down below, her eyes instantly locking onto it. Was it—

"Jirachi?" she yelled, flying closer.

Jirachi's head whipped up as he heard the familiar voice. "Celebi?" he called into the sky. His green fairy friend flew into view high above.

"Jirachi!" she yelled in relief, and then her eyes widened as she saw the two Pokémon that accompanied him— Blast, the leader of the Pineco Gang, and his second-in-command, Bristle. She'd never met them, but had heard tales of them throughout the forest, tales which never had a happy ending. They had moved in and claimed the Watmel grove as their territory, and if anybody trespassed—

"Jirachi!" she shouted, her voice high with panic. "Get away from them!"

(-o-)

"Aw, look," Blast said, spotting the little green Pokémon in the sky. "He brought a little friend."

"Too bad it doesn't make much of a difference," Bristle rumbled. They had come in close around Jirachi now, and he was beginning to see that these Pokémon's intentions were not friendly.

"Um..hey," he said timidly, trying to sidestep Blast, who he faced. "There is no reason to crowd one another...W-we have the whole forest, after all..."

"Exactly," Bristle said, moving to block Jirachi's exit. "Which is why we're wondering...Why did you have to come into _our_ territory?"

"Your territory?" Jirachi asked. "What is?"

"This whole grove, you little...what are you anyway?" Blast trailed off in a growl. "Never mind. It doesn't matter. No matter who you are, you're a trespasser to us."

"This whole grove is your territory?" Jirachi asked, beginning to feel his nervousness building. "I-It seems a little large, does it not? For just two Pokémon?" His voice was beginning to rise in pitch.

"Two?" Bristle barked, and they roared with laughter. "You're not very smart, are you, _punk._"

Instantly, a whole ring of Pineco dropped down, surrounding Jirachi entirely.

(-o-)

Celebi didn't know what to do. If she swooped down and intervened, the Pineco would surely explode— they didn't much care for sudden movements. But if she stayed up here...

"Jirachi!" she called down to him. "Fly straight up! Now!"

(-o-)

Jirachi was confused by Celebi's instructions, but looked up at her and nodded, letting her know he understood.

"I am sorry I have trespassed, Pineco," he addressed the Pokémon surrounding him. "I-I will not do it again. I will leave now." He began to float into the air, taking the Watmel with him.

"Ohhh no you don't," Blast growled, leaping up and landing on top of one of Jirachi's streamers, bringing him thudding back down to the ground. Jirachi cried out, dropping the Watmel berry, and Bristle held down his other streamer, keeping him tethered to the ground.

"No one trespasses and gets away with it," Bristle hissed in his ear.

Jirachi looked around frantically, whimpering in fear. Every direction he looked, a Pineco met his gaze, staring at him angrily.

"Prepare yourself, _punk_," Blast said, and his eyes glinted in a way reminiscent of a smirk. "Cuz we're gonna _blow you away._"

"Celebi!" Jirachi cried desperately.

(-o-)

Celebi heard his cry and knew instantly what was about to happen. "JIRACHI!" she yelled, and swooped down toward the ground. All around, the Pineco's eyes were screwed shut with effort, and they began to glow white. One near the back of the circle exploded in a cloud of smoke as she drew near, and Celebi dodged the blast with a yelp as she continued flying, hearing the worn-out groan of the Pineco behind her.

The Pineco were beginning to explode at an increasing rate, clouds of smoke blooming in every direction. A thick blast of smoke and debris suddenly erupted in front of her, and she flew right into it, suddenly blinded. "Celebi!" Jirachi's fearful voice reached her ears, and she gasped for air as she burst through the smoke and into clear air again.

"Jirachi!" she choked out. The Pineco were exploding nearly constantly now, the ones who had already exploded laying in a charred and fainted heap. Spotting her friend, Celebi swooped in. Blast and Bristle began to glow white, sensing that the opportunity was getting away, and Celebi gasped and acted quickly, knocking aside the two Pineco with her telekinesis. Bristle exploded as he made impact with the ground, Celebi caught in the blast. She cried out as she faltered in the air, and Jirachi coughed as he was enveloped with the resulting smoke. With effort, Celebi dove in and grabbed Jirachi's hand, yanking him upward. Jirachi took the lead and pulled her along, Celebi panting with effort to keep up and not pull him down.

"You won't get AWAY!" Blast roared, leaping up and exploding with more force than all the others.

"Dodge! Dodge!" Celebi panted frantically, and Jirachi swerved to avoid the explosion, rising higher in the sky. They had moved just in time, and only caught a puff of smoke as they fled skyward. Blast's charred body fell to the earth, and Celebi could hear him shouting curses towards them as they flew away from the Watmel grove.

(-o-)

Jirachi panted, his heart still beating a mile a minute as he and Celebi slowly sank to rest on the branches of the Pecha tree. The sun had long since set, and the moon was rising in the sky. Jirachi glanced at his friend with worry. She was on her hands and knees, gasping, sucking in air with deep breaths. Her side was singed painfully, and one of her wings looked slightly charred. Numerous cuts covered the injured side from the small pebbles stirred up by the blasts. Jirachi's eyes clouded over with sympathy and pain. Yet again, Celebi had saved him, and yet again, he was responsible for her suffering.

"Celebi..." he breathed, touching her shoulder gently. She winced. "I..." he trailed off, realizing that there was nothing he could say that would ever express his regret. "I am sorry, Celebi," he choked out finally.

"It's okay... I've been...through worse," Celebi panted, straightening and leaning her back and head against the tree trunk wearily. She took a deep breath and let it out with a whoosh, trying to calm down her breathing.

"No it is not!" Jirachi snapped, and Celebi looked at him in surprise. "It is not okay, Celebi," he continued, his voice calmer, but sadder. "I have done nothing but cause you unnecessary pain and trouble."

"You know that's not true!" Celebi said, and Jirachi thought she sounded a little defiant. She certainly looked it, with her bright blue eyes narrowed and a frown on her face. "We've had a lot of fun together, haven't we? And you don't know your way around here, Jirachi; how could you have known about those jerks?"

"It does not matter, Celebi," he said heatedly, stubbornly raising his voice.

"Yes it does!" Celebi countered, moving her head closer to his confrontationally. "I should've warned you about them, and I didn't. It was _my_ fault!"

"I cannot keep relying on you to protect me and be my friend all the time, Celebi," Jirachi yelled, tears pricking his eyes, "because soon you won't be able to!"

Celebi's frown deepened. "Well then I'd better look out for you while I still can, hadn't I?" she asked rhetorically.

"I never asked for you to look out for me!" he shouted back.

Celebi drew back abruptly, shocked and hurt. "Jirachi..." she said, her voice breaking.

Jirachi glared at her, panting heavily for a moment, before his angry expression melted away and tears spilled from his eyes instead. "I am sorry," he whispered. "I am sorry. I am sorry. I am sorry..." he trailed off to a sniffle, and Celebi drew close and wrapped her arms around him.

"Shh, shh," she hushed him, holding him tightly. "Don't. It's okay." She spoke gently, trying not to let her voice choke.

"I am tired of losing the ones I care about," he whispered, looking at her with tear-filled eyes. "I do not want to lose you, too, Celebi."

"You won't lose me," Celebi said soothingly, squeezing him a little tighter. "I promise. I promise."

As she held him, repeating these words, Celebi wondered if it was really Jirachi she was trying to comfort.

* * *

**Author's Note:** What did you think? :3 I know this chapter was pretty angsty, but I swear to you that Chapter Six is almost nothing but happiness and rainbows and sunshine. It's probably the happiest chapter ever. XD

Thank you so much to my reviewers. Captain Piika, Tilfang, doggiefan, and T_S_EMOtional, you are pure gold for taking the time to read and review, especially more than once!

A special thanks to Happy Hereford, who has reviewed nearly every chapter. You have no idea how much that means to me, HH. You are an angel.

Thank you to all my non-reviewing readers too. I know you're out there! :) Please feel free to leave me a comment, even if it's just a short one. It really brightens my day.

Even if you don't review, reader, I really hope you're enjoying my story. Thank you so much. ^_^


	6. Night Six: Rustboro

**Author's Note: **Hey, everyone! We're getting closer to the finish, and after all the sad events, this one's a real smile-bringer, at least in my opinion. :) I hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer:** It's "Gotta CATCH 'em All", not "Gotta OWN 'em All".

* * *

Seven Nights

Night Six: Rustboro

When the sun was just rising in the sky, Celebi awoke. This would be her last full day with Jirachi, and she vowed to herself to make it a happy one. What could they do that would be guaranteed to be fun? she wondered. She'd already showed him the forest, and the beach, and the house... what more was there to do?

She looked at her friend, who was sleeping rather fitfully. It had taken him a while to fall asleep, she knew, but the events of the day had exhausted them both. He drew in breath with a small sound, and let it out in a sigh.

Whenever she tried to do something nice for Jirachi, it seemed like it backfired. And then the little Pokémon blamed himself for it. Celebi frowned as she watched him sleep. Didn't he get it? She wasn't looking out for him because he was helpless; she was looking out for him because—

_Why? _she asked herself as she shifted in her seat and watched the sunrise silently. _Why _am_ I taking care of him?_

She supposed it was because they were friends. Friends looked out for one another. Friends cared about each other and comforted each other when they were sad.

But did friends feel this heartbroken when they knew they would have to part?

Celebi couldn't answer this question.

"Celebi..." a voice sighed next to her. Her head whipped in Jirachi's direction, but when her eyes found him, his eyes were still closed, a serene smile on his face. She smiled in response, unconsciously.

She decided that she was taking care of Jirachi because she wanted to, and that was that.

(-o-)

"Good morning, sleepyhead," she said gently as Jirachi blinked open his eyes an hour or so later.

Jirachi yawned and stretched. "G'morning," he mumbled, still half-asleep.

"Did you have sweet dreams?" Celebi asked him, a slight teasing gleam in her eye.

Jirachi looked at her suddenly, his eyes widening. "Yes, I suppose I did," he said casually, eying her suspiciously.

"You said my name in your sleep," Celebi explained with a grin.

"Oh!" Jirachi exclaimed, a faint blush covering his cheeks. "Did I?..."

"Yup," she sang, bringing her forehead close to his. "What were you dreaming about?" She wasn't sure why she was teasing him like this; it just seemed fun.

Jirachi flushed. "I dreamt that we were looking up at the stars together," he admitted, "and you were singing that song."

"Song?" she echoed, blinking and dropping her teasing attitude.

"Yes," Jirachi sighed fondly. "That song you were singing when I woke up."

Celebi stared at him. "You dreamed of my song?" she asked incredulously.

"Again, yes," Jirachi said, getting flustered now. "Must you ask me twice?"

Celebi smiled a wide closed-mouth smile at him, her eyes sparkling. "Sorry," she said. "I just thought it was nice." After a brief pause, she asked him: "Jirachi, how would you feel about flying above a town? We could see lots of houses and buildings!" Her voice sped up with excitement.

Jirachi clapped his hands together once, his eyes sparkling just like hers. "Oh, I would very much enjoy that!" he answered, floating up in the air slightly. Suddenly, his face fell and his eyes clouded over with worry. "But, Celebi," he said unsurely, "Your wing...is it suited for flying at the moment?"

Celebi's smile slid off her face as well. She hadn't thought of that. She had just been sitting on the tree branch ever since they returned yesterday, and the pain had sort of faded into the background— it was there, but she had stopped paying attention to it. Gingerly, she twisted around to look at her wings. She fluttered them experimentally, and a mild shock of pain went through her. She tried to stifle her wince, but Jirachi saw it.

"Please do not trouble yourself, Celebi," Jirachi said earnestly, floating back down and touching her wing as gently as a feather. "You must not continue to hurt yourself for my benefit."

She frowned at him. "You keep saying that," she complained, "as if I'm doing all these things selflessly. I'm not!" she exclaimed. "I'm doing them because I want to, Jirachi," she told him. "I want you to be happy, but doing these things for you, _with_ you... it makes _me_ happy too." She trailed off near the end, a little embarrassed at how sappy her words sounded.

Jirachi didn't seem to care. He looked positively moved. "You are very unique, Celebi," he told her, his eyes wavering, but happy. "I have never met anyone like you."

Celebi grinned bashfully. "One of a kind; that's me," she agreed, poking herself in the chest with one finger for emphasis. "So let's fly, Jirachi, because we _both_ want to," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He smiled at her brightly, his eyes flicking to her wings briefly, but coming to rest on her determined eyes. "Okay," he said at last, "Let us fly."

(-o-)

High above the forest trees, the ground looked very far away indeed.

Jirachi turned and smiled at Celebi in childish joy, savoring the feeling of defying gravity. She smiled back, a kind look on her face that made Jirachi's heart flutter a little.

"So which direction are we going?" he yelled over the sound of the wind.

"Left," she called simply, and took the lead, her wings fluttering frantically. Jirachi felt bad that she had to fly in her condition— her wing was still singed, and her right side was still badly scratched up. But as she looked over her shoulder at him, a teasing gleam in her eye, Jirachi couldn't help but feel as if she really had forgotten the pain, caught up in the moment as she was.

"What's the matter, Jirachi?" she called back in a singsong voice. "Did you become a Slowpoke when I wasn't looking?"

Jirachi's eyes narrowed playfully. "No; I was just seeing how long of a head start I had to give you before I surpassed your speed easily!" he shouted back, speeding up to catch up with her.

Celebi laughed and zipped through the air faster, forcing Jirachi to fly at top speed to reach her side. He finally did, though, and flew beside her. She glanced over at him, smiling.

They flew for a short while before Celebi slowed in the air. Jirachi flew past her before realizing that she had stopped, and quickly slowed down as well. Celebi hovered in the air, looking down at the faraway ground. "Look, Jirachi," she whispered as he floated back over to her. "Rustboro City."

Jirachi turned his gaze downward slowly, and immediately his eyes snapped open as his jaw dropped. "Woowwww," be breathed, awestruck. Celebi beamed at him as he took in the sights, his eyes the size of saucers.

"Pretty cool, huh?" she asked knowingly.

"Oh, yes! Very 'cool'!" Jirachi exclaimed, looking down at all the buildings and benches and lampposts like a child in a candy store. "How do they build all this?" he asked eagerly, glancing up at her.

"With big machines!" Celebi answered, spreading her arms wide in demonstration.

"That is amazing!" Jirachi said. He flew around, looking at more of the city. "Could we fly closer?" he asked, looking up at her desperately. "For a closer look? Please?"

"Well..." Celebi started unsurely. If they flew closer, they might be in danger of being seen, but...

This was her last full day with Jirachi, after all...

"Okay," she said, and he clapped his hands together joyfully. "But," she added warningly, and Jirachi looked at her questioningly. "We have to be careful," she said. "We don't want the humans to see us."

Jirachi nodded earnestly, waiting for her to take the lead. She flew down slowly, Jirachi following after. Soon, people were much more visible than they were before: Celebi could see the colors of the clothing they wore, or the hairstyles they sported. They were still a safe distance up, but close enough to really appreciate all the sights that Rustboro had to offer.

"What is that structure?" Jirachi asked, pointing to an ornate building on the Northern side of the city.

"I don't know!" Celebi laughed, shrugging. "I've never asked!"

"Oh, that is true," Jirachi said, though he sounded a little disappointed. He searched the city with his eyes again, and Celebi saw them widen, all disappointment forgotten. "Look, Celebi! Water!"

Celebi followed his enthusiastically pointing finger with her eyes, eventually coming to rest on a sparkling fountain down below.

"That's a fountain," Celebi told him. "I think humans put things in them and make a wish."

"A wish?" Jirachi said, taking in everything she said with rapt attention. "Wow! A fountain for wishing! How wonderful!" He flew around happily, and Celebi giggled. Humans sure did fascinate him. She supposed if she hadn't seen any in a thousand years, they would interest her too.

"Look, here come some humans!" Jirachi said excitedly, grabbing onto her shoulder and pointing down at the fountain. Indeed, a young man and woman were walking closer to the fountain, eventually stopping as they reached its edge. The man pulled something out of his pocket. Celebi saw the sunlight glint off the coin even from high above. The man placed the coin in the woman's outstretched hand. She closed her fingers around it, holding it to her heart as she stared at the fountain, bowing her head. Then, with a flick of her fingers and a glint of gold, the coin was cast into the fountain, where it landed, creating a tiny ripple in the water. The woman said something to the man, and the man swept her into his arms in an embrace. Their faces moved closer, and their lips met in a loving, passionate kiss. Celebi averted her eyes in embarrassment, glancing over at Jirachi, who stared unashamed at them, smiling with interest.

"Jirachi, we shouldn't watch," she mumbled to him.

He looked at her, blinking. "Why not?" he asked curiously.

"Because...well...because..." she floundered for words, a flush spreading across her cheeks. "The man and woman were...well..."

"Yes, what _were_ they doing?" Jirachi asked with interest. "I saw them embrace, and then they seemed to be pressing their mouths together. How strange! I wonder if they were sharing food?"

Celebi's cheeks were red by this point. "No, Jirachi," she squeaked. "The humans were... kissing."

Jirachi tilted his head at her, intrigued. "Kissing? What is that?"

"Kissing is...well, it's... uh..." Celebi tried to explain, feeling her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. Hadn't he ever seen anyone kiss before? The things Jirachi didn't know surprised her every day.

"Celebi, your cheeks are red," Jirachi said unnecessarily.

"Kissing is...well...when two people or Pokémon like each other a lot, they show it by doing things like embracing or kissing," Celebi explained, ignoring his statement.

"Pokémon kiss, too?" Jirachi asked, surprised.

Celebi felt another wave of heat cascade over her face. "Um, that is, it's uh, becoming more common among P-Pokémon," she said, "because Pokémon often... imitate humans."

"Oh. That is very interesting," Jirachi said, looking down at the man and woman, who were still holding one another. Relieved that he had stopped asking questions, Celebi let out a sigh, glancing anywhere but down at the couple or at Jirachi.

"Celebi," Jirachi said after a moment, and she hesitantly turned to face him. "You said this 'kissing' indicates affection for another, like embracing?"

"Well, yes," Celebi said awkwardly, "but it's a little different..." she trailed off, not sure how to explain.

"Well," said Jirachi innocently, "Would you mind if we kissed?"

She almost fell out of the air.

Choking on nothing, she attempted to straighten herself, flailing around. Jirachi tilted his head again, looking at her odd behavior curiously. Blushing madly, she finally managed to clear her throat and speak. "Jirachi, you don't kiss your friends," she choked out.

"Why not?" Jirachi asked, blinking.

"Because...kissing is special," Celebi explained desperately. "It's for couples. You know... people and Pokémon that are 'together.'"

He still didn't understand. "But we have been together for six days."

A heated blush still on her face, she shook her head. "But that's not what I mean!" He blinked, and she tried to explain yet again. "Kissing... is for people and Pokémon that want to be together... romantically." She swallowed, trying to get the rest out. "...As mates," she finally managed to say.

He jolted slightly, finally understanding. A red flush glowed on his face. "O-Oh! I-I-I am sorry!" he blurted. "I-I did not realize the implications!"

Though she was dreadfully embarrassed, she couldn't help but giggle at him. "That's okay," she said with a bashful shrug. "How were you supposed to know?"

"I...I merely thought it a ritual of showing affection," Jirachi went on, still blushing. "I hope you aren't offended!"

"Jirachi!" she laughed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. Really." She smiled at him briefly, and he smiled back sheepishly. "I'm not mad at you or anything for suggesting that we kiss."

Jirachi looked relieved. "I am glad," he said.

She grinned. "Come on," she said, taking his hand. "I'll show you the Pokémon Gym."

As she flew off with him, his hand clasped in hers, she ignored the voice in the back of her head that said she wouldn't really have minded kissing him.

(-o-)

After a day of sightseeing, both legendary Pokémon were very tired. They had eaten their meal of Pecha berries, laughing and discussing the things they had seen (except for the couple at the fountain, about whom they avoided talking at all). Now, as the stars sparkled in the sky once more, their conversation was winding down as they began to get sleepy, sitting on a tree branch and leaning against the tree trunk again.

"Thank you for taking me to see the city, Celebi," Jirachi said, stifling a yawn.

"No problem," she said, blinking her eyes sleepily.

"I'm glad I got to see it, especially with you," Jirachi added, ending the sentence on a yawn, which refused to be stifled any longer.

She yawned in turn, as if seeing him yawn had triggered hers. "Me too."

His eyes began to drift closed. "Of all...the Pokémon in the world," he said drowsily, "I am so happy...that I woke up to you." His head dropped down on his chest, and his breathing became soft and even.

Celebi smiled gently at him, touched by his words.

"Good night, Jirachi," she whispered to him.

Her smile faded from her face as she realized that the next time she watched him fall asleep, he wouldn't wake up again.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Please tell me what you think! Thanks so much to my reviewers doggiefan, HappyHereford, T_S_EMOtional, and new reviewer Eidorian999! You guys are amazing and awesome and I want to give you each a million cookies. Even if that would make you obese. But you would be obese because of cookies and love.

Anyway, Chapter Seven is coming up on Wednesday! :)


	7. Night Seven: Epiphany

**Author's Note: **Hello, all! College is really keeping me busy...luckily I remembered that today's post-a-chapter day! XD Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this one, even though it's sad. D:

* * *

Seven Nights

Night Seven: Epiphany

Jirachi had woken up early that morning.

Watching the sun rise for the last time for a thousand years, he thought about all the things he'd seen and learned. Every time he woke up, the world was so different, and it was hard to see more than a little of it in the short time he had each time.

But this time...

This time he had seen more than just the world. He had seen pain, he had seen sorrow, he had seen joy and exhilaration and... and whatever that feeling was when Celebi touched him or held his hand...

He had learned about death, and time travel, and wishing fountains...He'd never experienced so much in seven days before. As the orange sun began to rise in the sky, painting the horizon in soft pastels, he glanced at Celebi, his eyes clouding over with sadness.

He'd never wanted to stay so much before. He'd never had so much to say to a Pokémon, and yet have no idea how to say it. What was it he would say when he fell asleep? His mind raced with all the possibilities. Farewell. Thank you for all you've taught me. Sorry I could not stay with you. I never wanted this to end.

Please don't leave me.

That was the one he always came back to. He knew she wasn't leaving him by choice, and neither was he, but it felt like that was the thing he wanted to tell her the most: he wished she'd never leave. He wanted to stay in this place forever, with its many-colored trees, its plentiful berries, its sandy beach, its cities, its endless sky...

And Celebi.

How could he possibly wake up again without Celebi? Her kindness, her song, her warm hand and comforting arms? How had he woken up every other time without her? It made his heart sink to just think about a world with no Celebi.

Celebi had told him once, when he was sad for Sachi's loss, that she was never really gone as long as he remembered her. Would that prove true for Celebi as well? Would she be there with him as long as he held fast to the memory of her?

His eyes took her in, trying to memorize her.

She stirred, and he jolted a little, startled by the movement. Was she waking up already?

Celebi turned over, her face screwed up in an expression of pain, murmuring and whimpering in her sleep. Jirachi scooted closer to her with concern, trying to make out what she was saying.

"Don't go," she repeated, over and over again. "Don't go. Don't go." She trailed off into a series of whimpers, and Jirachi took her by the shoulders and shook her gently. Celebi started and cried out, sitting straight up.

"Celebi, it is okay," he whispered as she panted, looking around frantically. "I am still here. It was just a dream."

"Jirachi," she said, relieved. She searched him with her eyes. "How long have you been awake?"

He shrugged. "About an hour, perhaps more," he answered. Her eyes looked sympathetic, and he knew she hadn't gotten much sleep either.

"Well, as long as we're both up, we might as well start the day," she said, getting to her feet.

(-o-)

Both Pokémon were somewhat subdued that day. They kept their conversations light and happy, but after each laugh, there would be a long silence in which each thought sadly of the other.

Celebi reminded herself that she'd never really spent this long in one time before. She was used to skipping ten or fifty years in either direction as often as she pleased. But now that she had seen what it was like to simply enjoy the day-to-day life in one constant time, she realized how much she had liked it. The life of a time-traveler was a lonely one, and Jirachi had filled the void in her life that she hadn't known existed.

They did all their normal activities. Celebi took Jirachi to the beach a final time, and they sat on the shore side-by-side. Celebi watched the waves slowly creep up to wash over Jirachi's feet. It was almost as if they were trying to reach up and hold onto Jirachi; like they were reluctant to let him go.

(-o-)

"Celebi," Jirachi said softly as they ate Mago berries halfheartedly for lunch, "There is so much I have not said to you that I want to say." They sat beneath the Cheri tree under which they had met, though none of them had really thought about it. It seemed quite nostalgic. Had it really only been a week?

Celebi glanced over at him, intrigued. "Well, say it now," she suggested with a shrug.

He looked down at his feet, shuffling them a little awkwardly. "If I knew how to say them, I would," he admitted. "But it seems I cannot even find the words."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," she sympathized, watching the leaves rustle as a gentle breeze blew by.

"I mean to say..." Jirachi started again, playing with the swaying blades of grass, "Thank you, Celebi," he finally managed, looking up at her. "Thank you for showing me so much of this world. I am truly grateful."

"Hey, no problem," she said casually, hugging her knees to her chest.

"And more than that," Jirachi continued, struggling to find words, "Thank you for showing me what it's like to have a true friend." His voice thickened a little. "I will never forget that."

Celebi stared at the ground, trying not to give in to impulse and burst into tears. "You're welcome," she said softly. "I should be thanking you too, Jirachi. I've never had a real friend, either. Just people and Pokémon I've helped or who have helped me. But knowing someone really cares about me... Knowing someone will actually be sad to leave me..." her voice broke a little, but she still refused to let the tears come out. "That really means a lot to me, Jirachi."

He looked at her, his eyes large with emotion. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. Silently, he reached his small hand over and clasped hers. She jumped slightly at the unexpected contact and glanced at him. He was smiling at her with an expression that was intended to be reassuring, but looked to Celebi as if it was just hiding sadness. She said nothing as she looked at the ground again, softly squeezing his hand.

(-o-)

When the sun began to sink from the sky, Celebi felt a growing sense of dread. It was getting close to the time it had been when she had awakened Jirachi, and she knew she didn't have much time left. Like Jirachi had said, there was so much she hadn't told him— yet how could she say it? "Thank you for showing me what it's like to have a friend"? "I'll never forget you"? Everything she thought of seemed corny and unnatural— like it didn't really convey what she wanted.

She glanced over at Jirachi, with whom she was sitting in the branches of the Pecha tree. They had flown around the forest a few hours prior, and now they were both sufficiently tired out. Celebi knew this could have shortened her time with Jirachi, but wanted to make sure they spent their last hours together doing something they enjoyed.

"Celebi," Jirachi mumbled, breaking the silence. "I am beginning to feel drowsy..."

Celebi's heart clenched. "I know," she said. "It's okay."

"No, it is not," he murmured. "I want to stay here forever..."

"Me too," she admitted, choked. Both Pokémon gazed at the sunset, just as the sun dipped below the horizon. The moon was just barely visible in the hazy sky, still painted in shades of pink and orange. How could the sky be so beautiful at this moment when her time with Jirachi was rapidly coming to a close?

"Celebi..." Jirachi whispered, and then suddenly he swayed and fell out of the tree.

"Jirachi!" she yelled, swooping down and catching him, gently lowering him to the ground. He looked up at her, his eyes glazed slightly and half-closed. The slit on his belly seemed to be opening up a little. "Jirachi...what is that?" she asked in hushed tones.

"My...true eye..." he said sleepily. "It opens... when I go to sleep..." The slit opened a little more, and Celebi glimpsed a bit of the piercing blue iris in its center. All of a sudden, panic crashed down around her as she fully grasped what was happening.

"Jirachi!" she said desperately, holding his limp form. "Please don't go yet!"

"Celebi..." he said, struggling to keep his eyes open. "I know it is my job, but... will you grant me... a wish?..."

She looked into his eyes as her vision swam before her, blurring with unshed tears. She blinked them away. "Anything," she said, struggling to keep her voice from shaking.

"Sing me... your song..." Jirachi requested faintly, a ghost of a smile flitting across his face. His true eye had opened almost all the way, opening more and more as Jirachi's eyes eyelids drifted downward slowly.

Celebi made a sound halfway between a laugh and a sob. "Of course," she said, and began,

"_Forest, oh so deep and green  
Hide me so I can't be seen  
Your high-up boughs will be my bed  
Your leaves a pillow for my head  
Your rustling my lullaby."_

The song was sad and slow, not sweet and light as it usually was. But Jirachi listened intently all the same, relishing the sound of her voice. His true eye stared at the stars, which were beginning to appear in the night sky, unblinking and emotionless.

_"Forest, oh so green and deep  
Branches rocking me to sleep  
Your hidden fruits, which feed me well  
Within your sacred hollows dwell  
For nothing will I wont or sigh..."_

A peaceful smile drifted across the face of the small Pokémon in her arms as she sang. Celebi's voice was choked and wavering, not nearly as pure and sweet as it normally was, but Jirachi seemed soothed by the sound all the same. He let out a sigh as she continued.

"_Forest, with your secret charm  
Your canopy will keep me warm  
High above in branches tall;_

_The ones below will look so small  
When I sleep so close to the sky..."_

Jirachi's eyes began to flutter, and suddenly a glow appeared around him, and a piece of violet quartz-like crystal appeared around his feet, encasing them. Celebi choked out a sob, but would not stop her song.

"_O, Your rustling my lullaby,  
For nothing... w-will I wont or sigh  
When I sleep s-so close to the s...s-sky..."_

Almost without noticing, she had broken down into sobs, tears rolling down her face as Jirachi listened peacefully. "I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I'm not singing it well..."

"No, Celebi," he murmured. "If I must leave this world for now... I am glad the last thing I hear will be your voice." The crystal crackled and spread up to cover his waist, and Celebi hugged his form, sobs wracking her small body as she squeezed the crystal.

Jirachi's peaceful expression wavered, and his eyes filled with tears as well. "Please, Celebi... do not cry... I...I cannot bear it..." His chrysalis spread to cover his true eye.

"I'm sorry," she wept, holding him close. "I'm sorry," she repeated, and she wiped her eyes vigorously with one arm, rubbing away all the tears that would not stop. "Please, Jirachi... please don't go..." Her heart felt like it was being torn in two. There was something she just had to say to him...but what? Her heart was too consumed in anguish to allow her brain to sort out her thoughts, and she merely found herself babbling to him pitifully. "Please don't leave me. Stay here. Just a little longer. Please..."

He looked at her sadly, the heartbreak in his eyes reflecting hers. "I cannot, Celebi..." he said, and as his eyes blinked sleepily, tears spilled down his cheeks as well, down the turquoise trails that led from his eyes as if following a course. His cocoon spread to cover his neck, leaving only his head visible.

"I'm sorry, Jirachi!" she cried out, not knowing exactly what she was sorry about. Sorry that she couldn't stay with him. Sorry that they hadn't done more. Sorry that she couldn't stop this endless stream of tears like he had asked her to.

Jirachi's chrysalis closed around his head, and his face was the only thing left for her to see. She hugged the warm crystal uselessly, tears pouring from her eyes. Jirachi's eyes were almost closed now.

"No, Celebi..." he whispered faintly. "It is I who am sorry." His voice was very soft, and Celebi had to listen closely to understand his words. She struggled to quiet her breathing so she could hear him.

"What do you m-mean?" she asked, swallowing her reflexive sobs.

He gazed at her, so sadly, and spoke, his voice as soft as a breath of wind. "I never got to tell you that I..." and then his eyes fluttered closed at last, and the violet quartz covered his face, silencing him.

"Jirachi?" she yelled, shaking the crystal as if she could wake it. She gasped desperately, her eyes sweeping over the object in her arms with panic. "Jirachi!" she repeated, his name a prayer. "JIRACHI!"

She trailed off into an endless stream of sobs and gasps and whispers of his name, clutching his chrysalis as if she could awaken him again with sheer will. She tried to slow her breathing a bit, her breaths coming quick and shallow. She gulped several times, trying to take deeper breaths. What had he wanted to tell her? What would he have said if he just had a moment longer? Her mind was drowning in questions and her heart thudded painfully.

What had _she_ wanted to tell him? she asked herself, but her anguished mind could not answer her.

Jirachi was gone. This was the thought that kept returning to her. He was gone and there was nothing she could do about it. The only Pokémon that had been by her side consistently, the only Pokémon she had grown close to, the only Pokémon she had wanted to stay with forever, was gone...

Forever? she asked herself. Is that what she had truly wanted? To stay with Jirachi forever? Nothing she had ever known was forever...Yet the thought rang true. She had never wanted these seven nights to end. But why? Simply making a friend had changed her so much? No... that wasn't it...

She clutched Jirachi's cocoon to her chest, rocking back and forth slowly as if trying to soothe a fussy child in her arms. Jirachi was different, she thought. Jirachi was special. Jirachi had been worried for her. Jirachi had held her hand and flown with her and done things no one else had ever done for her. She was a different Pokémon for Jirachi. She treasured him. She cherished him. She... she...

_Oh, Arceus,_ she cursed to herself, more tears spilling from her eyes. The forest seemed to spin around her. _I love him,_ she concluded at last. _I love him. _

The trees and twinkling stars the only witnesses to her heartbreak, she buried her face in the unforgiving crystal and wept.

* * *

**Author's Note: **THE END.

...

...

Juuuuust kidding! SURPRISE! There's another chapter! :) Don't worry, my dear beloved readers, all will end well.

Speaking of my dear, beloved readers... Special thanks to doggiefan, VivianShadowGirl, and HappyHereford, as well as someone who has reviewed previously that forgot to sign in...XDXD I'm sorry, whichever lovely person you are! Thank you so much for reading anyway! XD I wish I could give you all rainbow unicorns and lollipops in flavors that do not actually exist, like Awesome Incarnate. I want to give you an Awesome Incarnate lollipop. :3

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Thank you. :3


	8. Night Eight: Neverending Past

**Author's Note: **Hey, everyone! Sorry I'm a day late posting this! Lots of drama at college (not to mention homework. No really: don't mention homework. T^T)! Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this last installment to _Seven Nights!_ I know I did! ^_^

* * *

Seven Nights

Night Eight: Neverending Past

Celebi didn't know how long she knelt there, sobbing and holding the motionless cocoon to her. She only knew that when her breathing quieted at last, punctuated by the occasional hiccup, the sky was midnight black and the stars were smattered across the gaps in the trees.

She couldn't think straight. Nothing would ever be the same again. She didn't _want_ anything to be the same again. How could it? The only Pokémon she had ever loved would not wake up for a thousand years, and she just couldn't get to him. Would she even remember him in a thousand years, if she lived that long? Eventually, details would fade: what his voice sounded like, his light-blue markings beneath his eyes, the feeling that rushed through her when they joined hands or embraced...

She shook her head, refusing to let herself think these thoughts. She would not allow herself to forget. She couldn't.

Jirachi was the Wishmaker.. Why, then, did she feel as if all her wishes had been crushed?

If only she had figured it out sooner that she loved him...

Then what? What would it have changed? It would have only made their parting more painful for both of them.

She took in a deep breath, her breathing finally having slowed, and let it out with a shuddering sigh. Sniffling slightly, she gazed up at the stars.

"Wish you could see the stars with me, Jirachi," she whispered to the silent chrysalis she still held clutched in her arms. She paused a moment, and then continued, "Actually, I just wish you were here with me. It wouldn't matter what we did, as long as I was with you."

Suddenly, her eyes widened and she froze. "I...wish..." she repeated slowly, a realization slowly washing over her. "If I could have made a wish..." She glanced back down at the chrysalis and let out a gasp. "A wish!" she repeated. Suddenly she knew she couldn't just let him go. She knew what she had to do.

But would it work?

_It has to,_ she told herself determinedly. _It just has to. _She steeled herself, gritting her jaw and balling her hands into fists. Thinking quickly, she clutched the crystal again, holding it closely as a bright blue glow began to surround her. She screwed her eyes shut tightly, letting out a murmur of effort, steadily increasing in pitch and volume as the glow around her grew brighter and brighter.

_Jirachi,_ she thought, letting her heart swell with hope and determination. _I'm coming._

She disappeared.

(-o-)

Sleepy... Jirachi was so very sleepy. Everything seemed so hazy when he hibernated, his dreams always half-formed and forgotten by the time he woke up. An uncomfortable sensation gripped him, and his heart skipped as he slept. A loud roar sounded in the back of his dormant mind, and he heard it and did not hear it at the same time. Suddenly, the noise died, and everything was peaceful again.

A brief silence. Then, another sound started in the back of his head. He drifted on the edge of the precipice of unconsciousness. Something was drawing him over, stirring something within him. The sound was swelling, and his heart gave another flutter.

Singing, his hibernating subconscious realized. Someone was singing. What was it? It sounded so familiar... this feeling... this feeling was so warm...

Suddenly, he felt himself encompassed with a tingling sensation all over. His limbs were numb, and his brain seemed to hover somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness.

The singing... it was calling to him...His heart stirred again, and Jirachi's eyes fluttered, not quite opening.

So familiar... what was this feeling, this song? His blurred vision saw a shadow moving outside his shell, a shadow that he knew well...who was it? He asked himself. Who was singing to him? His heart seemed to beat faster, and a sweet joy bubbled up inside him. He made a small noise and felt the tingling increase. It was a sensation he knew well: he was waking up. Willingly, he surrendered to the feeling, letting the warm glow surround him completely and feeling his chrysalis slowly disappear.

(-o-)

Celebi kept singing softly, pausing often for exhausted pants. She sang a new song she had made up on the spot as she cradled the quartz shell tenderly. She felt as if she could not draw enough breath to breathe properly, and she was doubled over in exhaustion, but still she kept singing, her voice aglow with hope.

"_Wake, my dear one, unto me  
Let this lullaby set you free  
Your lonely nightmares bid begone  
Awake and greet a brand new dawn  
As you open up your weary eyes."_

The chrysalis in her arms glowed with warmth. Heartened, she sang louder.

"_Wake, my dear one, on this night  
Be awakened by hearts' light  
No longer will you sleep alone;  
Every night will be our own.  
Look now upon these starlit skies."_

Jirachi's cocoon began to glow, pulsing with energy, and a smile spread across her face as she sang on.

"_Wake, my dear one, and see my face,  
Feel the light in my embrace.  
I don't need my dreams to come true;  
My only wish is to be with you  
And never again say our good-byes."_

Jirachi's chrysalis glowed brilliant white, and Celebi finished her song, feeling happier than she had ever been in her life.

"_Oh, as you open up your eyes,  
Look upon these starlit skies  
And waken to my lullabies..."_

The violet stone began to reshape into the form of her friend, and Celebi let out a gasp of joy, holding him and watching as the glow subsided. Soon enough, Jirachi lay in her arms, his eyes clenched tight as if he were struggling to open them.

"Jirachi," she whispered, and a single tear of joy coursed down her cheek and landed on his face with a _plip._

Jirachi winced and fluttered open his eyes, still glazed with sleep. Slowly, he turned his gaze to her face. "Celebi...?" he murmured quietly. He began to close his eyes again. "No, that cannot be," he said softly. "I am dreaming."

"You aren't dreaming," she said gently, her heart swelling with happiness and love.

"It is impossible," Jirachi said, clenching his eyes closed tighter. "Celebi is gone."

"Jirachi," she said, a little more firmly, and she touched his cheek with one hand, leaning his head on her lap tenderly.

His eyes snapped open at her touch, and he turned his head to look up at her.

"Celebi?..." he breathed dubiously, hardly daring to believe it.

She nodded silently, tears coursing down her cheeks gently.

He sprang up, his eyes very wide. "It is really you?" he said, his voice shaking. He touched her cheek, feeling the wetness of her tears.

She closed her eyes and smiled, leaning into his touch. "It's really me," she whispered.

"Oh my," Jirachi said simply, and suddenly his voice was alive with enthusiasm. "Celebi!" he suddenly launched forward and caught her in a hug. Celebi laughed and hugged him tightly, sniffling as more tears spilled from her eyes.

"But how can it be?" Jirachi asked rhetorically. "How did you get here?" He pulled back and looked her in the eyes, and his smile fell. "Why are are you crying, Celebi?" he asked, concerned.

"B-...Because!" she sobbed pathetically. It seemed as if all she did was cry lately. It was quite unlike her. She rubbed at her eyes, embarrassed. "I'm so h-happy. I thought I was never going to see you again," she said.

"Me too," Jirachi admitted, his hands still on her shoulders. He let out an amazed sigh. "Oh, Celebi; how did you do it? I thought you could not time-travel that long distance?" A stricken look suddenly crossed his face, and he clutched her shoulders, speaking more firmly than she'd ever heard him speak. "Celebi, you have not pushed yourself too hard, have you? You have not injured yourself to get here?" He seemed to be scolding her, but just couldn't make his expression anything less than caring.

She shook her head, sniffling again. "I'm not hurt," she told him.

"If you are not hurt, why are you crying?" he asked, confused. He shook his head. "I still do not understand. How have you come all this way?"

"I realized I could do it, if I really wanted to," she said. She rubbed her eyes again, but more tears quickly took the place of the ones she wiped away. "I realized I could do _anything, _Jirachi, because I...b-because I...!" she searched his face with her large and tearful eyes, struggling to say the words.

"Because you...?" Jirachi prompted, his eyes large with concern.

"Because I love you!" she blurted, and pulled away from him in embarrassment, a deep flush covering her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she sniffled. "I didn't mean to. B-But I do. L-love you..." she trailed off to a mumble, and she cursed herself for being such a wreck. This wasn't how she imagined this moment at all.

He still looked a bit confused. "You are crying because you love me?" he questioned, furrowing his brows.

Her blush returned with renewed intensity. "Y-Yes," she squeaked, a little offended. She began to regret her impassioned outburst. Why did he have to ask her like that? "I-I'm sorry," she sputtered. "I-I shouldn't have—"

"Well, that is nothing to cry about," Jirachi interrupted, still looking at her as if her behavior was odd. She opened her mouth to say something, but then he continued: "I love you too."

Her mouth flapped open and closed soundlessly as she stared at him, wide-eyed. "Y-You do?" she said blankly when she finally found her voice, rubbing at her runny nose.

He smiled at her, and pressed his lips against hers in answer. She clutched him tight as she returned the kiss, dampening his cheeks with the tear-trails that had still not dried on her face.

When they parted, Celebi rested her forehead against his. "Jirachi," she said softly, her tears finally stopping. "Will you grant me a wish?"

"Of course, Celebi," he said without hesitation.

She smiled at him. "Stay with me forever," she whispered to him, keeping her eyes locked on his. "Come back with me and never hibernate again."

"That is at least three wishes," Jirachi teased her. "I thought you requested _a_ wish."

She pushed him playfully, and he laughed. "If you wish it for me, I will never hibernate again," he said, more seriously now. Celebi nodded, and he searched her with his eyes. "You do not understand, Celebi," he told her. "Hibernation gives me the energy needed to grant wishes. If I grant you this wish, I will never be able to grant wishes for others again."

She looked into his eyes. "Do you need to grant wishes for others, Jirachi?" she asked, and he seemed taken aback by the question. "When was the last time you worried about what _you _wished?" Celebi said. He looked at the ground, opening his mouth and then closing it again. His eyes met hers again as she continued. "Jirachi," she said gently, "Only grant this wish if it is what _you_ want."

He looked at her a moment, his eyes searching hers. Slowly, he nodded. "More than anything," he said.

Celebi grinned widely. "Are you sure?" she asked hopefully.

"I am sure!" Jirachi nodded confidently.

"Then, Jirachi," Celebi said in an official sort of voice, "I wish you would never have to hibernate again."

Jirachi smiled and floated into the air. He began to glow with a white light, and his tags glowed light blue and stood straight up. A wind seemed to swirl around him, and a beautiful ringing noise sounded in Celebi's ears.

As quickly as it had started, the glowing and ringing stopped, and Jirachi floated in the air, looking as he usually did. "It is done," he said simply.

Celebi grinned. "Now grant me another wish," she said, and as Jirachi opened his mouth to tell her he couldn't, she said, "Trust me to get us back safely."

He smiled and took her hands. "I trust you," he said. "Please, take us back." He kissed her forehead lightly, making Celebi's cheeks flush. "I want to spend my past with you, forever," he told her ardently, his eyes sparkling.

Her lips quivered, and, unable to hold it in, she burst out laughing. Jirachi looked a little taken aback. "Why are you laughing?" he asked, sounding a little defensive.

"That was so corny!" she giggled.

"Corny?" he asked.

"It means sappy or overly sweet," she clarified, and he looked hurt for a moment before she clasped his hands and said, "It's okay. I like corny." A rosy blush spread across his face, and Celebi smiled as a blue light enveloped them. A humming noise sounded around them, and the glow grew in brilliance. A blue aura-like bubble surrounded them.

"Celebi," he said as a wind began to blow around them. "Will you sing me that new song again when we get back?"

"Your wish is my command," she teased, squeezing his hand, and they disappeared.

(-o-) END (-o-)

* * *

**Author's Note: **Welllllll? :) What did you think? Please let me know! I'm eager to hear what you liked, what you didn't, et cetera!

Thank you so much to everyone that has read/will read this. It's been an honor and a pleasure, really. :)

Thank you especially for my lovely reviewers! You make me feel like a Shiny, Modest-Natured Feebass, and that's pretty darn special.  
**Captain Piika**, you always have something nice (and cute) to say. Thank you. :)  
**doggiefan**, your reactions always make me smile. :) Hope you have fun on your rainbow unicorn named Bob!  
**T_S_EMOtional**, the fact that you came back here and apologized because you were grounded for a few days is just... XD You're awesome. That is all.  
**HappyHereford**, thank you so much for reading each and every chapter of this and reviewing them all as well. You've no idea how much that means to me, especially when you say such complimentary things! :)  
**ShinyTogeticFTW**, thank you so much for reviewing ALL of my Pokémon stories! I love you forever. Platonically. YOU, my friend, are FTW.  
**Eidorian999**, you always provide the most insightful and detailed comments, telling me what affected you and what parts were the best. I have no idea how to thank you, so I'll just say it: Thank you. :)

Thank you also to Tilfang and VivianShadowGirl, who also reviewed chapters of the story!  
And thank you to YOU, Reader! Yes, YOU! Even if you don't review, you are still awesome for reading my story. ^_^

Don't forget to vote in my poll, everyone! It's on my profile page! I need everyone's input about which Legendary Pairing I should do next! Thank you for your participation! *bows*

Okay, this Author's Note is long enough. See you, everyone, and I hope you'll be reading my stories in the future as well! :)


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